


lesson learned

by onlyeverthus



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 17:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5936452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyeverthus/pseuds/onlyeverthus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the Doctor, Rose, and Clara's anniversary, but unfortunately, things haven't gone as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	lesson learned

**Author's Note:**

  * For [perfectlyrose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectlyrose/gifts).



> For Kelsey, who asked for the OT3 and a date night gone horribly wrong.

"That's the best you can do?" the Doctor said into the phone, a deep crease between his eyebrows. The person on the other end spoke again, and he gave a resigned sigh. "Yeah. All right. You've got my mobile number."

With another sigh, he ended the call, and let his arm fall to his side. The evening had been going perfectly up until now. Well, aside from the fact that the restaurant somehow lost their reservation and they had to wait an hour for a table, and then the blind panic when he realized he hadn't brought enough cash to cover the check and had left his bank card at home, and the girls had to help pay.

Okay, so maybe the evening hadn't been that great. And now it was even worse, because he'd failed to get the car looked at when a notification light had come on, and now they were stuck, in the middle of nowhere, at night, in the rain.

Rose and Clara sat glumly across the road, huddled together under an umbrella on what remained of an old stone wall, and the Doctor trudged over to them. Even with the umbrella, they were soaked through, and he felt another stab of guilt.

"Erm, they can't send anybody until tomorrow because of the weather."

"Well, we can't bloody spend the night outside in the rain!" Rose exclaimed. "What are we gonna do?"

"It's all right," Clara murmured soothingly, pressing a kiss to Rose's shoulder as she gave her a squeeze. "We'll figure something out. We passed those houses just a little ways back there, maybe someone is still awake and will give us a place to sleep for tonight. Yeah?"

Rose sighed and nodded, and she and Clara stood.

"'m sorry," the Doctor mumbled, tugging self-consciously on his earlobe.

Rose sighed once more. "I know you are. I'm just – cold and wet and tired. This was certainly not how I envisioned tonight ending."

They started up the road, Rose and Clara holding hands while the Doctor walked a few paces in front of them. It was almost eleven o'clock, and he held some doubt as to whether they'd find anybody still awake who would also be willing to put them up for the night, but it was better than sitting on the side of the road in the rain, and the car wasn't big enough for the three of them to sleep in it comfortably.

The first house came into view after several minutes, and they slowed. The windows were all dark, and they decided either nobody was home, or they were all in bed already.

They continued on, looking for signs of life, and then finally came upon a house with a light on in the front window. The Doctor glanced back at Rose and Clara, and they both nodded, though they gripped each other's hands a little bit tighter, and Clara murmured, "Be careful," as they started up the drive.

When they reached the door, he rapped his knuckles against it, and let his hand fall to his side, his heart tapping an anxious beat against his ribs. At least the house had a small covered front porch that offered a reprieve from the rain, even if it was just for a few minutes.

Footsteps sounded from inside, slippered feet tapping against a wooden floor, and then the door opened just enough for an older woman to peer out at the three of them.

"Yes?" she asked cautiously.

"I'm sorry, but our car broke down just up the road a bit, and there won't be someone to get it, or us, until tomorrow morning. If it's not too much trouble, could we perhaps stay here for the night?" He felt a jab in his back, and added quickly, "We'll pay you for the inconvenience."

The woman eyed him, and craned her head a little to see Rose and Clara standing behind him. Her expression softened minutely at the sight of the girls, and she looked back at the Doctor.

"I've only got one extra bed."

"Erm, well, that's all right for us," the Doctor said, glancing back at Rose and Clara. Clara reached for his hand with her free one, giving his fingers a squeeze, and when he looked back at the woman, saw realization dawn on her face.

"The three of you, then?" The Doctor nodded hesitantly, and there was a beat before the woman shrugged as she opened the door all the way. "I went to university in the 70's. Come on in."

The Doctor's eyes widened and he stuttered out a thank you as he stood aside to let the girls go in first. They thanked the woman as well, hurrying gratefully into the warmth of her house, and she started towards the back, gesturing for them to follow.

"I'm sure you'd all like some tea."

"That would be brilliant, thank you," Rose said, smiling for the first time since the car had come to a puttering stop on the road.

"While we wait for the water to boil, I'll see if I can find you all some dry clothes," the woman said. "I'm sure you must be chilled right to the bone."

The three of them nodded, and she shuffled from the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with several things in her arms.

"First, a towel for each of you, and then nightgowns for both of you girls," she said, extending them to Rose and Clara. "We're about the same size, I think, so they should fit. And for you," she added, turning towards the Doctor, "you're a little bit taller than my husband, but I think his pajamas should work for you. Pop into the bathroom and get dried off and changed, and then I'll throw your clothes in the dryer so you'll have them for tomorrow."

The three of them thanked her again, and left the kitchen. The nightgowns fit Rose and Clara well enough, though the pajama bottoms were a bit short on the Doctor, eliciting giggles from both girls. He endured their teasing, just grateful to see them smiling and laughing after the way the evening had gone.

When they returned to the kitchen, the woman directed them to the dryer in the corner, which Clara turned on after their clothes were inside.

"Have a seat," the woman said. "I'm sure you're exhausted."

"We are," Clara replied as they settled around the small kitchen table. "Oh!" she said abruptly. "Gosh, we haven't even introduced ourselves. I'm Clara, this is Rose, and that's John."

The woman smiled. "I'm Agatha, but most people call me Aggie."

"Thank you again, ma'am, for letting us stay here," Rose said.

"Well, I was a bit wary at first, since it's so late, but when I saw you two standing there, soaking wet in your pretty dresses, I figured you didn't pose much of a threat. Special occasion?"

"Our anniversary," Rose replied.

"How curious," Aggie murmured, just as the kettle began to whistle. She withdrew four mugs from the cupboard, and set about preparing the tea. The Doctor stood as she finished to help carry the mugs to the table, and waited until she was seated before sinking back into his chair.

"What's curious?" he asked, dropping a sugar cube into his tea.

"The three of you in a relationship together. What do they call that these days?"

They exchanged looks, and then Rose said, "Polyamory, I s'pose is the best way to describe it."

Aggie nodded. "Makes sense. I was – or, well, I guess I still am – bisexual, though since my husband died, I haven't felt much of anything towards anybody, at least in that sense."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Clara murmured, stretching her hand forward to rest it on top of Aggie's.

"Thank you, dear," Aggie said, smiling at her. "It's been a few years now, but he was the love of my life. It's good to see you three embracing love as it's come to you. We can't always control or predict how things like that work out, can we?"

"No," Clara replied softly, sharing a look with Rose and the Doctor.

They chatted idly as they finished their tea, and then Aggie led them to the spare bedroom.

"I'll let you three figure out the sleeping arrangements," she added, a small smile on her face. They thanked her again, and she left the room, closing the door behind her.

"You two can have the bed," the Doctor said. "I'll just –"

"Sleep on the floor?" Rose huffed. "Don't be daft. There's plenty of room for the three of us."

"I just didn't think you'd want me –"

"Just because I'm annoyed with you doesn't mean I want you to suffer by sleeping on a hard wood floor all night. I'm not even that annoyed anymore, I'm just tired. So come on, let's go to bed."

The Doctor said no more, and they climbed into bed in their usual places, Rose in the middle with Clara on her right and the Doctor on her left.

 

The next morning, when the tow truck driver called the Doctor to say he was on the way, Aggie offered to drive the three of them to their car, and gave them her phone number when she dropped them off.

"Just in case you need it."

"Thank you so much, Aggie," Clara said as she hugged the older woman.

"You're sure you don't want us to give you any money?" Rose asked as she stepped forward to do the same.

"Don't worry about it," Aggie replied. "I'm just glad that I was able to help you lot out. Be safe, okay? And call me if anything goes wrong."

They nodded, and after sharing a hug with the Doctor, Aggie got into her car and waved as she drove back up the road to her house.

"Well," Rose said as she leaned against the car, "last night I was thinking that was the worst date night I'd ever had, but all things considered, I guess it wasn't so bad."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," the Doctor said earnestly. "Even if the car's in the shop, once we get back to London, we'll go to dinner again tonight, I'll pay for the whole thing, and then we'll go straight home again."

"Good, because making it up to us may require the whole rest of the weekend," Rose replied, the corner of her mouth rising.

Clara hummed her agreement as she moved to stand beside Rose, twining their arms together, and the Doctor grinned as he lifted his hands to rest them against the car on either side of the girls. He kissed them in turn, and smiled when he straightened, letting his hands fall to his sides again.

In the same moment, Rose and Clara reached forward to take his hands, and his smile widened as he squeezed their fingers.

"I love you," he murmured.

"We love you too," Clara replied.

"Even when you don't take the car in to get serviced when you need to," Rose added, arching an eyebrow.

"Lesson learned," the Doctor replied with a nod.

Rose and Clara glanced at each other, slow smiles curving their lips, and they both tugged on the Doctor's hands, pulling him forward for more kisses.


End file.
